Abstract
The focus of this study was to determine whether minimal levels of exercise could halt the formation of diabetes-induced heart pathology. Seven-week-old male rats were divided into four groups: sedentary nondiabetic, exercise-trained non-diabetic, sedentary diabetic and exercise-trained diabetic. Individualised exercise programmes were based on the animal’s tolerance, and continued for 7 weeks after the induction of diabetes. At the completion of the study, no differences were found in skeletal muscle citrate synthase activity between diabetic sedentary and exercise-trained rats, indicating that the exercise was low intensity. Diabetes-induced heart hypertrophy was not reversed with exercise as measured by heart-to-body weight ratios and EKG (R wave height). There was no statistical difference between groups in the response to an exercise stress test prior to the induction of diabetes. However, 4 weeks of diabetes resulted in a significant decrease in resting and post-stress test heart rates (9% and 20%, respectively), which remained depressed at week 7. The sedentary diabetic animals demonstrated an abnormal response during the recovery period of the EKG exercise test, which was not present in non-diabetic or exercise-trained diabetic animals. In conclusion, lowintensity exercise training improved the cardiac response to an exercise stress test in diabetic animals.
Similar content being viewed by others
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Smirnova, I.V., Kibiryeva, N., Vidoni, E. et al. Abnormal EKG stress test in rats with type 1 diabetes is deterred with low-intensity exercise programme. Acta Diabetol 43, 66–74 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00592-006-0215-5
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00592-006-0215-5